7.16.2009

I would run 500 miles and I would run 500 more...

Today I hit 1k miles logged for 2009. Phew! I had a little help from my pint-sized coach along on his bike. Less than a half mile after hitting the magic mileage marker we stopped for ice cream (in celebration of my mileage and in observance of my brother's birthday...he is 33 today), then ran/biked another mile-and-a-half home. It was great!

Tomorrow I will continue the celebration with a 17 mile run...in some heavenly running weather, too. Predicted temps in the upper 50s when I start and topping out in the low 60s by the finish. Ahhhh...you won't hear THIS girl bitching about the cool Summer, nosireebob! Nothing like being able to plan a run following a route I like, not necessarily a route that has ample places to get water. I can only carry so much on me and I expect to be out over 3 hours. With those temps I can easily bring one 20oz bottle and only have to refill once.

And I am going to do my first long run in my new flashy shoes (honestly, the blue is even brighter than in that photo). I have logged about 50 miles in them and am quite happy. It took me a few runs to determine whether or not I need my Superfeet insoles for added stability and arch support...I'm definitely leaning towards NOT needing them, which is excellent. Those suckers add an additional $30-40 to the cost of shoes and need to be replaced every 2-3 pairs.

My runs with the Superfeet have had me feeling overcorrected and sore on the outsides of my feet. Runs without feel much more natural. I haven't had any shoes that have felt right without them in over a year, so this is a nice experience. Nikes naturally have high arches built into the last, wheres NBs are notoriously flat (they were too flat for me, even with my semi-flat feet). With the Superfeet in I feel a MUCH higher arch that is uncomfortable under my foot, as a result.

The stock Nike insoles are still a bit bulky, but nothing thinner socks and a bit of creative lacing doesn't solve well. The shoe would fit better in a wide width, but Nike doesn't make such a beast...perhaps it's something they will add if the shoe does well. I have a feeling it will, so perhaps in a generation or two I will be able to purchase a pair that fit my duck feet like a dream right out of the box and don't require ultra-thin socks or skipping a row of laces on the forefoot. I dare to dream. For now I'm pretty happy and after tomorrow may even bump my beloved NB 902s from the top spot on my favorite-running-shoes-of-all-time list. Though I think a full marathon is really the true test of a shoe. I have high hopes that the Lunarglide+ will serve me well come Oct.

After tomorrow I should also have a better idea whether or not I will sell my remaining 3 pair of NB 903s on eBay, too. Right now I'm thinking that's where they will end up. The Lunarglides may be just the slightest-bit snug, but that's better than a toebox that is so tall that my foot feels somewhat unsupported and floppy in the shoe. It's one thing for a shoe to LOOK like clown shoes, but it's quite another for it to FIT like them.

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